Disclaimer: I am friends with the author; I received an ebook in exchange for an honest review. It's common to refer to the main characters in a romance story as the heroes, but there are no heroes in this book. Eric West is an unabashed crime lord, and Will fully admits to being a bit … Continue reading Review: Broken News by Sara Dobie Bauer
Review: Draakenwood (Whyborne & Griffin #9) by Jordan L. Hawk
We're back in Widdershins for Whyborne & Griffin's latest adventure, but this time it's the old families who are the targets. When Whyborne is accused of murder, he and his allies must not only clear his name, but also prevent the rise of a great evil. Plenty of familiar faces appear in this story, including … Continue reading Review: Draakenwood (Whyborne & Griffin #9) by Jordan L. Hawk
Review: Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
I started reading romance novels in 2016, in large part due to the emotional chaos wrought by the American presidential election. Luckily, judging by McQuiston's author note at the end of this novel, she saw a need in the general readership and persevered in filling it. This book is exactly what I needed as the … Continue reading Review: Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Review: The Dragon Mistress: Book 3 (Eburosi Chronicles #10) by R.A. Steffan
I burned through all of the books in this series very quickly, then had to wait months for this latest installment. I read it all the evening of the day it was released. It was worth the wait. Like the previous books, Frella's story contains nonstop action and adventure. Multiple relationships are in play. And … Continue reading Review: The Dragon Mistress: Book 3 (Eburosi Chronicles #10) by R.A. Steffan
Review: The 5th Gender (Tinkered Stars Mystery) by G.L. Carriger
As someone who regularly speaks at writing and fandom conventions about the topic of "genre blending" or "genre blurring" in contemporary writing, I have some pretty strong opinions on the subject. Carriger's science-fiction/romance/mystery is certainly one that I will now hold up as a great example of how to blend things right. This novel could … Continue reading Review: The 5th Gender (Tinkered Stars Mystery) by G.L. Carriger
Review: Winter Tide (Innsmouth Legacy #1) by Ruthanna Emrys
I enjoyed and was intrigued by the original novella that set up this world, but the world created within intrigued me much more than the characters. However, I enjoyed it enough to pick up this novel to get it signed by the author at a convention, and I don't regret any of the time spent … Continue reading Review: Winter Tide (Innsmouth Legacy #1) by Ruthanna Emrys
2019 Resolution Project: Gunmetal Magic (Kate Daniels #5.5) by Ilona Andrews
My 2019 Resolution Project over at my other blog, Speculative Chic, is to read the entire Kate Daniels urban fantasy series by Ilona Andrews, finishing up with a first read of the final book in the series. I’ve read this companion book, Gunmetal Magic, before, but never officially reviewed it. You can find my full review here. An excerpt: … Continue reading 2019 Resolution Project: Gunmetal Magic (Kate Daniels #5.5) by Ilona Andrews
Review: Love Across the Universe by Stars & Stones Books
Disclaimer: I am friends with the majority of the authors in this collection. I won my hardcopy in a raffle basket supporting an academic scholarship. This science-fiction romance collection was an excellent summer read. The stories themselves were a mixed bag for me, with a few being stand-outs. Favorite Stories "The Pirates and the Pacifist" … Continue reading Review: Love Across the Universe by Stars & Stones Books
Review: Hither, Page (Page & Sommers #1) by Cat Sebastian
This short novel was perfect for a summer night escape. It included so many things that I love in a story, such as mysterious small-town murder, morally gray characters, and good representations of mental illness (in this case, post-traumatic stress disorder). On their own, Page and Sommers were both characters that I loved getting to … Continue reading Review: Hither, Page (Page & Sommers #1) by Cat Sebastian
Review: Three-Way Split (Comes in Threes #1) by Elia Winters
I binged this book in one evening with a glass of wine and some cat snuggles. Not a bad way to spend my time, and the book was an easy read that was fun to speed through and enjoy every moment. I was thoroughly invested in the individual and group dynamics of the three characters. … Continue reading Review: Three-Way Split (Comes in Threes #1) by Elia Winters
Review: “An Ill-Advised Rescue” (Kate Daniels #5.?) by Ilona Andrews
This short story is included in the back of Kate Daniels Book #6: Magic Rises, and the author note in the front advises the reader to start there before launching into the novel. Since I can't find a place to review this story on Amazon or Goodreads (indeed, it's not even listed as part of … Continue reading Review: “An Ill-Advised Rescue” (Kate Daniels #5.?) by Ilona Andrews
Review: The Hills Have Spies (Family Spies #1) by Mercedes Lackey
I haven't been a huge fan of the first two Valdemar collections starring Mags, but I'll admit that he's a lot less annoying as an adult. Luckily, his son Perry is completely different and much easier to handle despite his young age. I enjoyed this adventure featuring both characters, especially the parent-child dynamic aspect. Despite … Continue reading Review: The Hills Have Spies (Family Spies #1) by Mercedes Lackey
Review: The Initiation (Filthy Rich Americans #1) by Nikki Sloane
I picked up this book on the recommendation from a writer that I enjoy, who mentioned that it was not her typical fare but that she'd really enjoyed it. The Initiation was definitely not like any romance book I've read so far, and I'd even argue that it's not really a romance book. There's plenty … Continue reading Review: The Initiation (Filthy Rich Americans #1) by Nikki Sloane
Review: The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter (Extraordinary Adventures of the Athena Club #1) by Theodora Goss
This book made quite a splash when it first came out, so it's been on my radar for a while. I bought it about a year ago, and finally decided to start reading it recently. Overall, it is a fun, exciting, and most of all unique tale that I enjoyed immensely. My largest critique was … Continue reading Review: The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter (Extraordinary Adventures of the Athena Club #1) by Theodora Goss
Review: Choices (Tales of Valdemar #12) edited by Mercedes Lackey
What should have been a comforting visit to my favorite land was tempered by the fact that the majority of the stories in this collection were continuations of stories in previous anthologies. I have a decent memory for things I've read ages ago, but even with that, some of these tales were hard to dive … Continue reading Review: Choices (Tales of Valdemar #12) edited by Mercedes Lackey
Review: Bad Girls: Sirens, Jezebels, Murderesses, Thieves and Other Female Villains by Jane Yolen & Heidi E. Y. Stemple
I snagged this from the graphic novel section in a used book store in New York City without realizing three things. It's written for the middle-grade audience. It's a collection of short essays, not a graphic novel. The few illustrated elements are about the authors doing research, not the subjects of the text. That being … Continue reading Review: Bad Girls: Sirens, Jezebels, Murderesses, Thieves and Other Female Villains by Jane Yolen & Heidi E. Y. Stemple
Review: Invincible Volumes 19-21
I'm far enough along in the series that some plot points and villains are starting to get recycled, but everything is still so epic that I'm happy to be along for the ride. Invincible Vol. 19: The War at Home Robert Kirkman (writer) Ryan Ottley (penciler, inker) Cliff Rathburn (inker) John Rauch (colorist) Rus … Continue reading Review: Invincible Volumes 19-21
Review: The Barista’s Beloved (River Hill #4) by Rebecca Norinne & Jamaila Brinkley
Disclaimer: I am friends with both authors; however, I purchased this ebook for full price. The latest installment in this small-town romance series pairs up a whiskey distiller with a barista, and the fact that the distiller is the lady and the barista is a guy is only one of the many things I loved … Continue reading Review: The Barista’s Beloved (River Hill #4) by Rebecca Norinne & Jamaila Brinkley
Review: Invisible Chains by Michelle Renee Lane
Disclaimer: I am friends with the author, who provided me with an advanced electronic version of this book for review. This is the first book I've read in years to give me nightmares. Lane's debut novel is an intricate and descriptive historical horror that encompasses some of my favorite tropes in speculative fiction. Jacqueline is … Continue reading Review: Invisible Chains by Michelle Renee Lane
Pulpfest 2019 Schedule
This weekend I'll be attending Pulpfest for the very first time! This convention is outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. My publisher, Raw Dog Screaming Press, is celebrating their sixteenth anniversary with special events within the convention. Sixteen years is kind of a big deal for a small press, but then again, RDSP is kind of a … Continue reading Pulpfest 2019 Schedule